Cycle driving mechanism.



Pateentsd July ,18, |899.

im. l629,113.

A. P. STEPHENS. cycLE umvms vlllacmlu'nsul,

(in Model.)

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UNIT-En STATES 'ANsoN P. STEPHENS,

PATENT OFFICE. y

`or NEW YOR'IQN.' Y.

crolli:r DRlvlNcfM's'oi-ANISM.

Vsrncrrrcn'rroivV forming part ofl Len-.ers recent No. eeenvsjdatea July 18, 189e.

Application filed December 27, 1897. vSerial Ilo. 663,486. (No model i To a/ZZ wiz/ont it may concern: Y

l `Be it known thatI, ANsoN P. STEPHENS, a

citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented an Improvement 'in Cycle Driving Mechanism, of which the following is a lspecification. 1

rIn an application for patent of like date herewith I have represented a means for givngrnotion from an internal gear-ring through,

In the presentinvention I provide ratchetteeth around theexterior of the internal gearring and a'pawl upon the footdever foren'- gaging such teeth, there being a spring that separates the pawl from the teeth when the pressure upon the foot-lever is removed, and I provide a bra-kethat can be actuated by the foot to apply-friction tothe internal gearring, and I also provide a flange upon the wheel-hub and a brake-strap adapted to being actuated by hand for applying the brake to the front wheel bythe handle-bar.

J In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional e1e-. Fig..

fork is adapted to receive between the fork the hub E jof the driving-wheel, and this'l frame-fork may be of any desired character, either rigid with. the main frame or adaptedto be turned in steering. A portion of this frame is shown at'A, and at the lower endof the forkV at each side is an axle-box B, this axle-box being tubular to pass through an eye at thelowerlend of the frame-fork, in which position itis irmly'secnred by a nut 41, which is\advantageously provided with a dust-guard and felt ring setting closely around the tubular axle of the wheel.

The hub E is of any desired character and l provided with flanges or other devices for the ,spokes ofthe Wheel, and suchY hub has a tubular center to receive the axle C, which axle is preferably made in two parts, so as to lbe insertedirom the ends into the hub, andthe tube of the hub may be split and iiattene'd 'and' providedwith ears to-receive through ,the ears the clamp-bolt II', by .which the axle is firmly clamped within the tubular hub, anda set-screw may also be provided, passing into a groove or hole in the axle, where- Y by the axle and hub arefirmly connected and rotate together. The clamping-,bolt H being in the middle holds both parts of the axle.

Upon the axle isa pinion 5, and such axle is screw-threaded behind the pinion to receive the bearing-rings S and lock-nuts 9, and

Qthe balls-6 are'betw'een these bearing-rings 38 and the grooved bearing-ring 7, th'at is @screwed within the stationary axle-box B. By this means the axle and wheel are ,reliyably supported within the stationary aXlebox, and the parts can be adJl ustedv to allow for wear by screwing one or both rings S toward the other and preventing them turning by setting up the lock-nuts. l

The stationary axle-box B is made with a front flange receiving-through itthestuds 10, supporting the Aintermediate pinions F, and the internal gear-ring G surrounds the intermediate pinionsF,'the teeth of vthe pinions and ring interlocking, and it is' advantageous to support the intermediate p inions F by ball- -loearings, the opening ineach pinion being grooved for the ballsll and the collars 12 .being upon' the studs 10 at opposite sides of ,they balls, andthe studs l() are conical or taipering, so thatby adjustingfthe collars 12 Wear ,may be compensated, andlocknuts are provided at the ends 'ofthe studs.

n'In order" to hold the internal gear-ring in position around 'the intermediatepinions F,

it, is advantageous to provide such internal gear-ring with guide-franges G','projecting inward and coming at opposite sides of the intermediatepinions. I have represented the ring G as screw-threaded internally at reach side of the teeth of such internal gear, sothat the guide rings or flanges G' are screwed into the ring G, which is convenient for allowing the teeth of the intern al gear-ringY to be properly cut; but one or both of these guide- IOO flanges G maybe made integral with the internal gear-ring.

The Acase H surrounds the axle-box, the gearing, and the internal gear-ring, and this case has a removable lcap H2, secured by screws J, and this case receives a turning motion backward and forward around the stationary axle-box, and in order to support this case in position and lessen friction ball-bearings are advantageously employed, the outer ball-bearin gs 13 intervening between the cap H2 and the conical end of the axle C and the inner ball-bearings 14 intervening between the axle-box B and the inner opening of the caseand it is advantageous to construct these ball-bearin gs so that they may be adjusted.

The outer ball-bearin g is represented with a screw-ring within an annular iiange upon the inside of the cap H2, and this screw-ring can be adjusted to compensate wear and held in position by a screw or pin I, and the inner ball-bearing 14 is provided with a screwring H3, passing into the opening in the case II, the surface of which ring is conical to press upon the balls of the bearing, and this ring has a flange extending nearly to the exterior cylindrical surface of the axle-box B, as represented at l5, and a ring of felt or similar m aterialh13 may surround the station ary axlebox and fit the interior of the ring-flange 15 for excluding dust, and there should be a movable screw or pin passing through the flange 15 into the axle-box to prevent-the ringflange unscrewing. The foregoing parts correspond to those in a separate application of l this date.

The case II is made with an opening at the lower and rear portion for receiving the knuckle K^2 of the foot-lever K, and the case and cap may be grooved at this part for the reception of fibrous material to keep out dust, and within the case a pawl 30 projects from the lever and is made with teeth near its end which engage similar teeth 31 around the exterior of the internal gear-ring G, and the case at this part is shaped so as to allow of the movement of the pawl in engaging the teeth or being moved back from such teeth for disconnecting the pawl from such teeth, and the spring 32 Within the case is sufficiently strong to hold the pawl 30 out of engagement with the teeth 3l; but thissprin'g yields to the pressure upon the pedal M.

It Will non7 be understood that when a downward movement is given to the foot-lever the pawl 30, engaging the teeth 31, causes the internal gear G to move along with the footlever and the case, and in so doing motion is given through the intermediate pinions and the axle-pinion to the driving-wheel to propel the cycle, and when the pressure upon the pedal is relieved and the foot-lever raised by the action of the foot on the toe-clip T or by a return-spring at P the foot-lever and case are moved in the opposite direction, the pawl beingout of contact with the teeth of the internal gear-ring, so that such ring is free to continue its movement under the vaction of the foot-lever and the parts at the other side of the driving-wheel, and by acting upon the foot-levers alternately the continuous movement is given to the driving-wheel, and it is advantageous to allow one foot-lever to rise rapidly by the action of the spring or the toeclip, so that one lever Ycommences to give the propelling power before the other foot-lever commences the upward movement.

It is ad vantageous to make the teeth 31 upon the internal gear-ring in the middle portion of the periphery and to leave the said ring smooth at each side of such teeth, as seen in Fig.l 3, in order that a brake may be applied to this smooth peripheral portion of the internal gear-ring. This brake is represented at S in the form of a segment pivoted at 33 within the case H, and the moving end portion of the brake S is provided with contactblocks 34,0f leather or other suitable material, that press, upon the smooth surfaces of the internal gear-ring, and the projecting stud 35, that passes from the brake S through a hole in the case H, can be acted upon by the foot of the rider to press th'e brake against the ring G and apply a detaining force tothe cycle, and the spring 3G acts to lift the brake from the ring G when the pressure of the foot is relieved.

In coasting the rider can place the feet upon Y the studs that project from the cases at the respective sides of the machine and exert the pressure necessary under ordinary circumstances for regulating the speed of thecycle; but it is advantageous to provide in addition an emergency brake controlled by the handlebar, so as to regulate the movement of the machine. With this object in view a liangc T is provided advantageously upon one end of the wheel-hub E, and this flange may be either cylindrical or V-shaped in section and receive around it a brake-band U, one end of which is connected with the cycle-frame at V and the other end is provided with a cord, chain, or strap NV, passing up to the handlebar, so that by turning the handle-bar or by applying a lever between the handle-bar and the strap such strap can be pulled upon with the necessary force for grasping the brakeflange T and checking the momentum of the cycle, and the brake-band U should be expansive, so that when the pull on the cord or strap W is relieved the brake will expand and remain substantially out of contact with the flange T. This strap or connection XV may be actuated by any suitable device.

In order to raise the foot-lever K, I lind it advantageous to employ a volute spring I), the inner end of which is connected with the frame-fork A or axle-box B, and the outer end is connected with the foot-lever K, preferably by passing into a hole therein, and the spring is coiled, so that by its resiliency the foot-lever K will be raised and the case I-I simultaneously turned, and when this return-spring is provided thc spring 32 may be dispensed with,

because the action ofthe volute spring K will f be to swing the foot-leverin suchra direction as to separate the pawl from the teeth upon strained by pressure from the foot.

In consequence of the clamping-bolt H' being between the spoke-flanges of the wheel the frame-forks can come closely adjacent to such spokelianges, so as to lessen the spread of the frame-forks The ordinary toe-clamp on thepedal M may l be made use of but it is usually advantageous' to have the toe-clamp on the pedal at the side adjacent' to the wheel extending up over the toes of the foot, so that the foot can be inserted laterally beneath such toe-clamp, and there will be lno looseness as the foot is raised in raising the foot-lever between one downward movement and the next.

In mylapplication, Serial No. 663,;85, iiled December 27, 1897, the foot-lever is represented as actuating the case and gear-ring, the parts being connected by suitable mechanism. In the present instance the foot-lever is provided with a pawl and teeth to engage teeth upon the exterior of the gear-ring, and the aforesaid application, Serial No. 663,485, is to be regarded as having the broadest claims overlapping the devices in the present application.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination with the axle vof the driving-wheel, of an internally-toothed gearring and gearing between the same and the axle, a case and a support on which the same can be turned aronnd'with the internal gearring, a lever .pivoted upon thev case, a pawl acted upon by the lever and engaging the eX- terior of the gear-rin g, and a brake supported bythe case and adapted to apply pressure to the gear-ring, substantially as set fort-b.

2. The combination with an internal gearring, the wheel, axle, pinion and intermediate gears, of a foot-lever and apawl engaging the internal gear-ring, and a case upon which ,theV foot-lever vis pivoted, such case being adapted to turn around the axle by the action of the foot-lever, a brake within the case and having a projecting stud 'to be acted upon by the pressure of the foot, substantially as set forth. c Y

p 3. The combination with the cycle-wheel and the frame-fork; of a stationary axle-box upon the frame-fork, a case supported by and v I turning upon the axle-box, gearing Within the l case for driving the cycle-wheel, a lever pivoted upon the case and a pawl within the case for engaging the gearing, such lever extending to the rear whereby the wheel is driven by the movement of the lever, the pawl engaging' the gearing upon the downward move- -ment of the* lever, a brake within the ease pivoted at one end and'acting at the other end against the'gear,and astud projecting through the case to be pressed upon by the foot, and a spring to lift the brake, substantially as set forth.

et. The combination with the spoke-flanges ofthe wheel and the tubular hub connecting such lianges and split longitudinally between theanges, of ears upon the tubular hub at opposite sides of the longitudinal split, a bolt passing through the ears and an axle made in two'parts and entered from opposite ends into the tubular hub and clamped bythe bolt so that the pinion upon the end of each half-axle can be made integral with such axle, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 22d day of December, 1897.

y AnsoN P. STEPHENS.

' Witnesses:

GEO.' T. PINCKNEY, S. T. HAVILAND. 

